The President Has Been Shot: Confusion, Disability, and the 25th Ammendment in the Aftermath of the Attempted Assassination of Ronald Reagan [Hardcover]

Herbert L. Abrams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1992

Using the attempt on Ronald Reagan's life as an example, Dr Herbert Abrams examines the efficacy of the 25th Amendment, the American constitutional law which provides for the transfer of power to the Vice-President in the event of the illness or disability of the President. After the shooting of Ronald Reagan in 1981, confusion reigned in the White House. Contrary to official announcements, the President's injuries were far more severe than his aides let on. Meanwhile, in the Situation Room, Alexander Haig and Caspar Weinberger squabbled over just who was "in control" of the government, and a young presidential assistant took the papers relating to the 25th Amendment from the hands of senior officials and locked them away in a White House safe.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When President Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr., in March 1981, the executive branch failed to invoke the 25th Amendment, which would have made Vice-President George Bush the acting president until Reagan could resume his duties. This compelling report documents the severity of the chief executive's injury, which the White House concealed from the public. Abrams, a Stanford University medical school professor, dramatically depicts the dangerous, sometimes farcical confusion in the aftermath of the shooting. James Baker, Edwin Meese and Michael Deaver ran the White House; "they were the president," quips Abrams. While Soviet troops seemed poised to invade Poland, Secretary of State Alexander Haig and Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger jockeyed for power and squabbled over the alert status of U.S. forces worldwide. In a disturbing book that sounds an important warning, Abrams proposes guidelines for swift, effective action when a president is incapacitated. Photos.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

An effective means of transferring presidential authority because of assassination or illness has eluded the U.S. government for 200 years. Abrams uses the confrontations between Chief of Staff Alexander Haig and Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger following the 1981 attempt on President Reagan's life to present a strong case for stricter adherence to the 25th amendment, which determines presidential succession. Authority should have been transferred to Vice President George Bush because Reagan, who initially had been in danger of dying, was totally incapacitated for several months. Fear of alarming the public and possibly encouraging a Soviet military response to the Solidarity uprising in Poland were the reasons given by James Baker, Edwin Meese, and Michael Deaver for not invoking the 25th amendment. Despite an uneven style that at times becomes prosaic, Abrams convincingly advocates the immediate use of this amendment and the careful selection of vice presidents. Recommended for current affairs collections.
- Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp . Lib., King of Prussia, Pa.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 364 pages
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc; 1st edition (February 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393030423
• ISBN-13: 978-0393030426
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,873,948 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed account of perhaps one of the most notable events of the modern Presidency, August 13, 2008

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Nicholas D Roesler "Author, Lecturer, UFO re... (Milwaukee, WI , USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The President Has Been Shot: Confusion, Disability, and the 25th Ammendment in the Aftermath of the Attempted Assassination of Ronald Reagan (Hardcover)

As a student of history, I can't praise this book highly enough. Abrams delves into the murky waters of the 25th Amendment in the aftermath of the March 30, 1981 assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan.

The President lay near death in the hospital. The Vice President was in the air, flying back to Washington. The West Wing staff never informed the next in the order of succession. (Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill) All of these events taken in concert would make for gripping fiction -- save for the fact that this is a history book.

Most definitely worth the read.